US$300 Million Gone

MAKASSAR—A decline in cocoa production due to the plant disease vascular streak dieback (VSD) caused Indonesia to lose US$300 million in foreign exchange.

“At least 40 percent of cocoa plants were hit by VSD,” said the Chairman of the Indonesia Cocoa Association (Askindo), Halim Razak at a meeting of the Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA) at the Imperial Aryaduta Hotel, Makassar, last week.

He explained that in 2006 Indo